Home sweet home. The New Jersey Devils (33-32-4) returned after a poor ending to their road trip out west and came away with a victory. It was a pivotal two points, as the team they faced needed those points as much as they did. The opponent win streak lives on, as the Devils defeated the Penguins 5-2 for the seventh time in a row.
This was a convincing win for the Devils, as they looked like the team that desperately wanted the two points. Goaltending was once again stellar for the Devils and Timo Meier continues his dominant month of March.
Game Recap
First Period
The first period featured one goal and it belonged to the Devils. Scoring first does not come often but in this game they grabbed the lead. With great speed, Dawson Mercer broke into the zone and sped past the defenseman. He then slid the puck through the five hole of Tristan Jarry. After a good period the rest of the way, the Devils held on strong and maintained their early lead.
That was a dominant first period by the Devils. They controlled the pace at five-on-five play, holding the edge in shot attempts 31-19. However, in what was a high-event period, the Penguins actually held an edge in expected goals 1.6-1.56. Jake Allen was very strong for the Devils in net.
Second Period
The second period was a back and forth affair, with each team finding the back of the net. The Devils saw their lead evaporate, as the Penguins tied the game. A strong forechecking effort by Michael Bunting led to a blast by Marcus Pettersson. However, it was the Devils turn to respond. Off a shot from the point, it deflected off Timo Meier in front to give the Devils the lead. It was a good back and forth period but the Devils would once again take a lead into the next period.
Even though the Devils walked away with the lead, the Penguins were the stronger team. They controlled 61.36% of the shot attempts. They heavily outshot the Devils 16-7 and had better scoring chances 17-7 as well.
Third Period
The floodgates were opened in the final period and the Devils led the way. The party got kicked off by Dawson Mercer for his second of the game. Off a great passing sequence, Ondrej Palat found Mercer in front of the net and he punched it home to extend the lead.
Moments later, Alexander Holtz punched home a rebound that gave the Devils a 4-1 lead. Then, with one of the better power play sequences, the Devils capitalized. A Jesper Bratt shot from the middle of the slot caused a rebound that Meier batted out of mid air to make it 5-1.
Bryan Rust would respond shortly after to make it 5-2. The horn would sound and the Devils won in convincing fashion 5-2.
The Devils played like a team that wanted to win and the effort warranted that. They dominated the period, out attempting the Penguins 14-5 at five-on-five. The two teams played just a hair over 12 minutes in this area of play. The Devils held a slight edge in shots on goal (7-4) but dominated the expected goals share 1.02-0.26.
Wrap Up
The Devils went ahead and took care of business. For the seventh time in a row, they’ve defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins and earned the key two points.
Jake Allen was once again a rock in the crease, making numerous key saves. The Devils had multi goal games from Dawson Mercer and Timo Meier and got another huge goal by Alexander Holtz. They sit on the outside looking in but boosted their chances with a victory.
Game Notes
- Jake Allen was once again a rock in the crease. He has been nothing but stellar since coming over in the trade with the Montreal Canadiens. He stopped 36 of 38 shots he faced, good for a .947 save percentage. He also finished the game with 1.69 goals saved above expected. Say what you will, but Allen has been exactly what the team has needed.
- Another strong game for Timo Meier, who has been a machine in the month of March. He scored two goals and was impactful when the game was played at five on five. When on the ice, he finished with a 59.09 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) and generated the most expected goals for (xGF) of anyone on the team 1.67. His trending up continues.
What’s Next?
The Devils homestand continues Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.